I am so honored to have been nominated by Taylor of The Modest Blondie for the Liebster Blog Award! Make sure to go check out her fabulous blog, which I just discovered myself....yay!

Basically the Liebster Award is given to a blogger, from another blogger, recognizing the potential that a particular small blogger has. Pretty much saying, "Hey, your blog's great. Keep up the good work, because you're on the right track and you're going somewhere."

I must say this is quite humbling, so thank you Taylor:)

Now for the fun part (my personal favorite).....answering the questions....hurray!!!

1. Who is your favorite, fashionable celebrity?

Gosh....this is a hard one because I really don't follow celebrity fashions (or really know that many celebrities). However, if I had to choose one I would say Kate Middleton because she has such an elegant and classic style. Plus, she is BRITISH which just makes me love her even more!!!

2. What is your most regretted hair cut? Show pics PLEASE (we’ve all been there).

I can't say that I have every had a bad haircut....thankfully! However, if there is one regretted hair cut it might have been cutting front bangs? It wasn't that they looked terribly bad, but more so that they were a hassle and were so dreadful to grow out (they are just now the same length as my hair). I cut them because I was so obsessed by Taylor Swift's bangs at the time and interestingly most of the time people would say "You look like Taylor Swift."

3. Are you a city, country, suburban or whatever type person?

I like the city, but mainly just for visiting/shopping, so I would have to say I am a Country person! Plus, our family comes from a long line of farmers and ranchers who lived in a small town (both of my parents are from small Texas towns) so it is kind of in my blood to love country life:)

4. What is your favorite holiday and why?

Without a doubt Christmas!!!! Have you ever realized how magical it is with all the twinkling lights, hot cocoa, Carols, brisk nights, decorations, and of course you can't forget about the marathons of Hallmark Christmas movies. However, Christmas is also so very special for the story and celebration of our sweet Savior's birth.

5. What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

Okay, so I was the kid who really didn't watch cartoons and I still don't care for them. However, the one I did like was Liberties Kids (is that even considered a cartoon??).LOL

6.What is your favorite genre of music?

Tough question......probably singer songwriter with a mix of pop? Nonetheless, I a a pretty big fan of many genres like country, swing, house, electronic, and Christian.

7.What is your most prized possession?

Oh, good question. I am pretty sure that after I write this I will walk away and realize a better answers, so for now I would have to say that my most prized possession is my Camera!!! That was a pretty big gift I got a few years back and it means the world to me:)

8. What’s the first thing that pops in your head when you see a shoe sale?

As much as I dislike math, the first thing that would probably pop into my head when I see a shoe sell is to immediately start tabulating how much the shoes will cost depending on how many % off they are on sale for!

9. What’s your dream job?

Another fabulous question!! I have MANY dream jobs however I will name one of my biggest :) I would want to become a costumer for a movie or TV show that is set in the 30's, 40's, or 50's! I can't help just wanting to be on set making sure everything about the costumes is perfect and creating the perfect looks that hit the screens.....ahhhhh such a dream!

10. Do you have any pets?

I am a stereotypical fashion blogger with my cat Rosie:) It is really hard not having her at college with me so whenever I am home for the weekend she is always so talkative and I am always so happy to see her again and listen to her calming purr.

11. What is your current favorite fashion trend?

Right now it would have to be the whole hipster/boho look with the felt hats! Totally in LOVE!!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1) I like Pumpkin Spice A LATTE!!! Pumpkin EVERYTHING please.

2) I drive a standard car (totally stole that from Taylor's post)

3) I have never been on an airplane, probably because I have an unrealistic fear of flying, though I plan on going to the UK in 2018 (fingers crossed).

4) I don't have a smart phone so basically I use my iPod for everything I would use a smart phone for:)

5) I drink coffee every morning and sometimes tea at night.

6) I danced at my church for 8 years and taught dance for 4 years.

7) I am surviving Chemistry class this semester by asking myself "What would Jemma do?" (for all of you Agents of Shield Fans)

8) When I was 16 I started my own cupcake business called Sweet Side Cupcakes.

9) I have a list of over 20 favorite baby names on iPod notes (with middle names included).

10) I like writing poems

11) My room is being overtaken by close to 100 books (and I have a small room)!!

Here are the official rules of the Liebster Award:

Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)

Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

Provide 11 random facts about yourself.

Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

So much for taking pictures this week......quite honestly after these last three CRAZY days it is a miracle that I can even function normally right now! Okay, I might be overexagerating just a "bit" but the beginning of this week was so CRAZY!!!! I knew this month would be a little overwhelming due to it being mid terms and also having a number of projects due and papers to write, but boy I wasn't expecting the overwhelming load. If any of you follow my other blog STANDOUTgirl, then you probably saw one of my latest posts "Treading Water" which basically sums up how I have been feeling. However, in the midst of feeling so overwhelmed at the start of the week, I was encouraged by something my dad texted me, he said "we have all been through things like this and made it. You are just climbing a mountain right now." I thought this was so simple, and yet so profound and it definitely gave me the boost I needed and the encouragement to keep on keepin on!! So there is a little bit of encouragement for today, to keep on climbing and before you know it you will reach the other side!!

Anywho (yes, I meant to spell it that way), I thought I would share a little fall fashion inspiration with you all once again and a little bit of my own personal style confessions! Now, the last time I shared fall fashion inspiration HERE it quite revolved around the 40's and 50's (Which is my typical fall look).

Well, today is the TOTAL opposite of that:)

Last week when I ran into town for some groceries, I took the liberty of popping into Goodwill for a bit simply to peruse the treasures. I came upon this utterly swoon worthy forest green corduroy skirt that falls past the knee and has buttons running down the front....I fell in love right away. However, I decided not to buy it and promptly left the store (don't know what I was thinking). Nevertheless, I couldn't keep my mind off of that fabulous skirt as I dreamed about it all weekend, imagining the perfect ensemble that I would pair it with and when I would wear it.....thus, I popped back over to Goodwill yesterday when I was in town and picked it up!

What might this skirt have to do with today's post??? Well, when I was coming up with ensemble ideas for the skirt, I kept coming back to a hipster/boho vibe with a felt hat!! Now, that probably sound quite opposite of my styles that often comes upon the blog, but I have to admit that the whole hipster/boho trend is truly growing on me and honestly, has been a style that I have always been partial to. I actually shared a little bit about my struggle with all of my different style loves in my first series of COFB HERE. I think because I have always loved fashion in general so much, I often fall into different style loves at different times, weather that be a modern vintage, authentic vintage, hipster vibe, preppy, classic, or boho.....I LOVE them all and often don't incorporate the different styles into my looks because I feel like I would be letting down the vintage soul in me (weird, I know). However, I have really been inspired lately by Lauren (first photo) of Someone Like You. Lauren loves fashion and not just one type of style. Often you will see her wearing vintage, hipster, boho, and everything in between she wears what she loves and never sticks to one particular look. Thus, she has really inspired me to try mixing it up a bit and embrace my overall love for fashion!

As for today's post.....I am mixing it up a bit! After my long daydreams of how to style the green corduroy skirt, I thought I would search Pinterest for some fashion inspiration! Therefore, today's post features a number of looks that I want to try this fall! Usually fall is 1940's for me, but this fall might just look a bit different.

I have never been much of a hat wearer, but lately I have been dying to incorporate a felt hat into my looks (probably inspired by Bonnie Kate)! If any of you are familiar with Bonnie Kate (you have to check out her Instagram HERE), she is not only an inspiring person with a beautiful story, but absolutely another fashion inspiration of mine for the whole bobo felt wearing hat type of style (plus she makes and wears the most amazing flower crowns). Go check her out for some beautiful life inspiration as well as some impeccable style:)

For some odd reason, I have always been afraid of trying new things with my wardrobe by incorporating different accessories, or even trying a whole new style. I guess it is because I, for some reason worry about what other people who are so used to seeing me in vintage will think/say, or even that to people who are not used to what I wear, will I still be the same person I am when I wear vintage.....totally some unrealistic fears, but my personal fashion fears none the less. Therefore, I guess this fall is going to be about taking risks (as non risky as they might seem, but risky to me) and trying new things. I believe that if you LOVE fashion as much as I do you shouldn't be afraid to wear all the different styles you love and that is precisely what I will set out to do!!

Today's post was all about my current style obsessions and inspiration that I want to incorporate into my wardrobe. Even if it means trying something new, I want to take a few risks this fall when it comes to my style:) Oh, and if you are wondering about the green corduroy skirt.......don't worry, it will be making its Debut in November with an extra special post so keep an eye out for that:)

Well, that is about it for today! I hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures as much as I enjoyed finding and being inspired by the. Remember, don't be afraid to wear what you love and take style risks every once in while!!

What a coincidence that in my last post for COFB II talked about how I manage life, school, and blogging and then last week rolled around and all of it went out the window as tests were scheduled, presentations due, and projects needing to be finished. Life sure is funny that way! Therefore, it just goes to show how ordinary my life is and how even in the midst of seeming like I have it all under control everything goes askew:) However, it is another week and I thankfully had time to go out and take some pictures for today's post. I thought I would share with you all today a little of my journey in starting this blog, how I have begun to get my name out there and how I reach readers. Nonetheless, you know I can never get onto the real topic until I have rambled for a short while, so for a quick rambling I have to tell you of a heavenly discovery!!!

As you all know, I am currently in college. Of course like all colleges, mine has a Library which I hardly ever frequent because I would much rather stay in my room to study than go to the library. However, last week I went to the library looking for a book for one of my classes, somehow I manages to stumble upon the isle with all the fashion books and boy was it all I could do to stop myself from doing a little happy dance in the isle. I started pulling books off the shelves and skimming through them as my mind and eyes soaked up all the fashionable goodness before me. As I made my way down the row I noticed shelves of red and black volumes lining the shelves from top to bottom.....of course I wondered what these plain bound volumes could be......oh was I in for a surprise as I began to read the words on the volumes, VOGUE, Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, McCalls, and many more. I immediately realized that these volumes were filled with all of the magazines past prints!!!! It was then that I tried not to squeal in excitement!!! Thus, I have all the VOGUE magazines (and others) dating back to the 30's (and even earlier) carefully printed and bound into great volumes. That isle in the Library is sheer perfection:) Okay, I warned you I was going to ramble but I just HAD to share this discovery with you:)

Well, let us start from the beginning.....I started this blog to share what I love: Fashion and Vintage!

Honestly when starting a blog there are soooooo many things to think about such as: what I want to focus on, who my audience is, what my blog will look like, what colors I want it to be, how I will advertise it, and how I will get my name out there. For me it has been a learning process the entire time and I continue to learn more as I go along. Therefore, I will break my blog process down into a few categories: Blog Design, Posts and Pictures, Organization, and Getting Your Name out there.

#1- Blog Design: I am a very creative person and as a result my mind is constantly brainstorming new ideas (my brain always has a lot of tabs open) therefore when it comes to the over all look and feel of my blog I am pretty nit picky about it. I love when I visit a blog and I fall in love with it because of the colors, design, and template! Honestly, the overall look of a blog is the first thing a person notices, and to me it is one of the first "moments of truth" so to say in selling your blog to a potential reader (that sounds very business like). I have always been fascinated by graphic design and good quality layouts, so for me, my blog always has to look as professional as I can get it (without getting a custom design). I have loved learning the basics of coding and making custom headers.....it has actually made me think quite a few times about getting a second minor in graphic design (that would be such a fun degree....).

Therefore, if you are a new blogger reading this, or are thinking of starting a blog I encourage you to brainstorm all the different aspects to a blog so that you can create a cohesive whole that reflects your blog. I remember when I was first contemplating starting a blog, I actually emailed two of the first bloggers I had ever started following and asked them for tips as well as ran some of my blog names by them.....it never hurts to ask:)

#2- Posts and Pictures: What is a blog without good posts and what are good posts without good pictures!! Again, I will admit that I can be nit picky about this area of my blog too. Good quality pictures to me always reflect a person who takes the time to capture good pictures (having a nice camera is always a bonus). I will admit that it has taken me up until just a few months ago to really figure out how to take the best pictures I can....granted it is often a little more challenging to capture pictures that are the quality and focus I want since I take most of my own pictures using a try pod and sometimes I am still not satisfied (it takes practice). Therefore, if you have someone who has a nice camera and is good at taking pictures utilize their talents!!

Furthermore, on the topic of pictures, I also know bloggers who don't take pictures for their blog but utilize stunning and charming pictures from pinterest and the most unique gifs to illustrate the topic of their post. It is definitely a different approach but I quite envy their talent for finding the most perfect pictures and gifs that I can't help falling in love with:)

Before I leave this section I must say that well thought out posts are quite beneficial.....not that I always think my posts out......I usually just sit down and write words (which sometimes works). There are so many different types of posts be it post about life, thoughts, beauty, reviews, DIY, outfit posts, and fashion. The options are endless!!! However, always take into account your audience when you sit down to write a post and think about what they might want to hear:)

#3- Organization: Let me just be honest and say when it comes to blogging for me, I am not the most organized person:) LOL! Many bloggers keep a blog planner where they plan out all their posts for the month, few months, year, etc. and it is all just soooooo organized!!! I am NOT one of those bloggers. Granted, I am not a full time blogger just an off and on part time blogger on top of everything else. Thus, I might sometimes jot down a post idea in my planner and brainstorm different post I might want to share, but half the time I just decide what I want to write on after I take pictures. Granted, I don't just randomly go and take pictures though....the ensembles that I capture are usually about the only thing really thought out:)

#4- Getting Your Name Out There: I have found that the main question for new bloggers and even for bloggers who have been around for awhile is how to get your name out there! How do you get new readers and broaden your audience. There are definitely many ways to do this and each blogger has their own preferences, but today I will share with you my choices on the matter of networking. When I first started blogging the main way for getting my name and posts out there was to create a board on pinterest specifically for my blog and pin a few pictures from each post with a link onto the board. However, after being around for awhile I discovered Bloglovin which links all of your post directly to our account on Bloglovin and offers another way for people to follow your blog (if you don't have a Bloglovin account you should get one). Of course there are always your social networking sites to network with! My personal preference is to use Instagram and post a picture from my latest post onto my account, and a lot of bloggers use this approach:) Honestly, there are so many options for getting your name out there, some work for some people and some don't work as well. The last thing I will say is that it has always proved beneficial to comment on the post of my fellow bloggers and leave my blog link in the comment, that way if they read your comment they can check out your blog! Now, I am not meaning to comment only for this reason, but if you are going to comment on a post you like then go ahead and include your URL.

Every blogger is unique in their own way, and each blogs differently. However, this is how I blog:) My little ole blog has only been around for about a year and still has room for growth, as any blog might, but I hope that you maybe learned a little something about a fellow blogger (me) or even gained new ideas in which to apply to your blog.

I can't leave today's post however without talking a little bit about my outfit! I was simply dying to wear some plaid and thought this shirt would look great with my mustard sweater vest and high waisted khaki pant that I made last year. Granted, it is still in the low 80's and high 90's over in my neck of the woods but I decided to disregard the temperature for the pictures and really for most of the day:) You know me and my love for mustard :) so this ensemble will definitely be a go to this fall in a number of variations! I was originally going to wear the sweater and top without a belt but once I put it on I realized it needed a little something and the belt did the trick. I would put this ensemble in the late 1940's with a nod to your scholarly plaid trends which are currently in right now:)

Purse: GoodwillBook: via Thrift Books

I know this post was a bit lengthy, but I wanted to get all the information I could in. Good luck to any new bloggers who might be reading this today and welcome to the team. Of course hello and thank you to all of you other bloggers who so faithfully follow me and my adventures as I follow yours. Until next time:)

Hello dear readers! Today I come to you with something special:) This past week I was nominated by Corin (isn't her name great!) of the lovely new blog Wonderland for the Versatile Blogger Award. I must say it was quite exciting to hear from her as well as meet her and her blog....she is new to the blogging world so be sure to go give her darling blog a visit here:) Thanks a million Corin for the nomination!!

Okay, so these are the rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated you (check)

2) Include a link to their blog (check)

3) Write seven facts about yourself (coming up below)

4) Nominate up to 15 bloggers

I always love doing posts like this every once in awhile because it gives me a change to meet new bloggers, highlight fellow blogs, and answer questions that I normally wouldn't write about on a normal day:) So....without further adieu lets get started!!

Seven facts about myself:

1) I always trip going up the stairs! No joke! I live on the third floor of my dorm and I trip at least twice a week going up those stairs or others on campus.....I have only fallen once though:) LOL

2) I am Scottish! My 95 year old grandpa is full blooded Scott so I am more Scottish than anything else....that is where our last name McQuary comes from (the original clan spelling is MacQuarrie). It is one of the oldest highland clans tracing back to the first king of Scotland, and we have our own crest and tartan....it is the coolest thing EVER!!

3) Though I am Scottish I have always wanted to be British so sometimes I am known to talk in a British accent...to others but usually just to myself (I am not crazy.....promise!). If I ever travel to England there is a good possibility I will come back with an accent....just saying! Every time I am in the presence of a British person I always want to start talking in an accent:)

4) My great grandmother was a writer and a few of my great Aunts are/were writers also (one is even published I think) so my love for writing is definitely an inherited trait!

5) If I ever changed my hair color I would totally go for an Anne of Green Gables auburn red! Plus, I think I gravitate a lot towards the shade of red because of my Scottish blood and because my hair has a little bit of red tents to it already:)

6) I love pretty much any type of music (except like hard rock and screamo stuff). Therefore on my ipod you will find techno/electric house music inspired by my brother (Capital Kings is my fave), country (I live in Texas so gotta love it), old fashioned swing music and the like, singer song writer, modern pop I guess (really whatever is on the radio), and of course I couldn't live without the amazing Christian music (Hillsong, Britt Nicole, etc.).

7) Last one....hmm......okay I would consider this to be an interesting fact about myself and one worth sharing......one of my dreams is to publish a book one day and due to that I am currently in the middle of writing a book with one of my best friends inspired by our lives and everything that goes on around us (Soooooo excited about it!). My second blog STANDOUTgirl (which I don't post on enough) is a branch off of my passion to inspire others to be bold in a weak world.

I guess that is about it! There are definitely more things I could share....I am one to go on and on and on if you don't stop me so I hope you enjoyed learning seven new things about me:)

Welcome back this week for the second installment of COFB II. I toyed so much with skipping a post this week due my somewhat overload of assignments I have on my schedule but then I thought..."What better time to talk about how I manage life, blogging, and college." For a little humor I will just say that there is not much of a "life" for me (voluntary and involuntary)....hehe. Okay, I have a life but when people think about "life" they usually attribute that to hanging out with friends and going out to have fun. However, I am an Introvert so my idea of a good time is staying far away from people I don't know..... which usually means stay in with a good book, blog post, Netflix marathon, or currently loads of homework rather than going out....yes I am one of those people:) Also, I don't know all to many people at college so staying in isn't that bad, especially considering my room mate and I have been close friends since my very first day at college....she is the best! Okay, but seriously it is totally a full time job (without pay) juggling life, blogging, and college. So how do I do it?

To be completely honest (this is a confessional after all) I am not quite sure how I manage to do everything!!!??? Not that I do all that much with my life, but the things I am a part of and do I am usually overly dedicated to and focus on ALL the time.

So lets talk life. To define life in my own words (in the since that I am using it here) mine consists of some good ole Netflix (currently addicted to Gilmore Girls thanks to my bestie Libby who got me hooked), YouTube web series (any Green Gables Fable Season 2 fans??), a small Bible study with some girls on campus, hall council (which is probably more in the College category so I will talk about that later), and then of course spending time with my family on the weekends when I go back home and catching up with all of my friends! Whew...that is actually a lot when I top to think about it! Now, Netflix is definitely one of those things that happens when homework is done or fitting in an episode in before bed, so that is usually the last on the list, but sometimes I just need a little down time for myself.

Like I said before, I am not one to go out and do stuff like every other college student....thankfully my awesome room mate and college bestie Jessica is exactly the same way so we enjoy each others company at meals as well as when we hide away in our room, immersed in our own world, away from people:)

Blogging.....can't avoid this topic because I am a dedicated (most of the time) blogger and blogging is a part of who I am.....I feel so lost without it! However, how do I manage writing and running a blog, plus keeping up with fellow bloggers on top of life and the loads (some weeks) of homework that come with being a full time college student? Hmmm......I really think blogging has become such a part of who I am that it is now an integral part of my weekly schedule. This semester I have gotten in the swing of taking pictures in the afternoon on Wednesday, writing my post on Wednesday night and then scheduling it to post in the morning on Thursday. However, it does take time to take the pictures, edit them write a post, etc. Yes, I could be using that hour and a half to do homework, but I choose to squeeze in blogging (even if it means loosing a couple hours of my day) because it is my happy time:) It is the one time during the week that I really get to sit down and write for one thing, and trust me I have some major writing with drawls (as I am smack dab in the middle of a big writing project that has been postponed due to school) and this fills the void somewhat:) Plus, my weekly posts are so special because it means that I get to share my heart, life, and loves with all of you lovely readers who make blogging so absolutely worth it! Somehow I manage to balance being a blogger and still keep up with my homework.....which now brings us to the topic of College.

Ah......College.....a joy and a dread at times:) Honestly right now, college IS my life!! Every waking moment is focused on going to class, doing homework, completing projects, and also being Vice President of hall council for our dorm. As a full time college student most every waking moment is filled with what needs to happen next and what tasks need to be done. So how do I manage it? Well, for one thing I have been using my planner a LOT more this semester.....the pages of my days are filled with color coded notes, events, To do's, due dates, assignments, and the like. I also seem to be addicted to sticky notes....hey, that is what they are for....notes to yourself right!! They help to keep me organized too.

However, in all honesty the only way I am truly able to manage all the demands of college on top of everything else is because God is my constant support and guide and helps me get through every day! I don't know what I would do without him in the craziness of life! Sometimes it seems like I am barely treading water with my head hardly above the surface, but I know the only way I haven't sunk yet is because God has given me the strength to persevere!! Some days are bleak and filled with so much to be done, piling up until there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but I know that if I simply focus to get the job done I will soon see the light at the end. I just keep on working until it is the weekend and I get to take a breath, although usually only for a short while as my weekends often consist on extra homework too....but that is my life....only two more years and then I am DONE!!!! Counting the days.....

When I was thinking about this post today I wanted to capture the joy of life just a bit.....therefore I thought a few fun "smiley"pictures would brighten my day as well as encourage you to keep going even when the going gets hard and the end looks far away. A positive outlook on life amid the heavy load helps to fill you with joy that helps you keep on pushing along:)

I hope you found today's post applicable to your life and maybe even encouraging. Managing everything that goes on is a 24/7 juggling act but with God on your side He sure helps to lighten the load. Sometimes you just have to take a little time for yourself, but always make sure you are well organized so that you can still get the important tasks done!

Remember to always stay positive, keep smiling, and fill the world with Joy:)

About Me

Hello all! My name is Madison and welcome to Minnie Muse, a vintage inspired fashion and lifestyle blog. I am an old fashioned Texas girl and INFJ who loves coffee, thrifting, all things old fashioned, and cats (especially). On the blog you will find me capturing life's moments, going on adventures and sharing my personality through fashion and words. Welcome to this grand adventure; I hope you stick around for the journey!

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DISCLAIMER

If I have received an item or piece from a brand or company I will note the collaboration and give my honest opinion. Also, when linking to various products I will sometimes use affiliate links. This just means that if you click on a link or make a purchase through one I could receive a few cents from the purchase or click. Thank you for supporting Minnie Muse & what I love!